'The fight has begun': Europe's newspaper front pages after continent declared epicentre of the coronavirus pandemic
ADVERTISEMENTOne week ago, Europe was declared the epicentre of the COVID-19 pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO). Since then, the number of cases has soared outside of China, jumping by nearly 250%.
So, how are European and global papers reporting the on the pandemic?
Germany
Weekly magazine Der Spiegel titles its edition as "the fight has begun", questioning how well clinics are prepared for the pandemic.
At the time of writing, Germany had recorded 18,361 cases and 52 deaths.
Der Tagesspiegel, a German daily paper, headlines with the hit to the economy, reporting that the country has plunged into a recession.
Italy
The daily newspaper, La Repubblica, headlines with "Hold on Milan". The Lombardy region remains at the centre of the crisis, with Italy moving past the number of reported deaths in China.
La Stampa, another Italian daily newspaper, headlines with Pope Francis calling on people "not to be afraid" amid the pandemic, while reporting on the Italian government evaluating an extension of the quarantine measures until the end of April.
Spain
El País, a Spanish daily newspaper, headlines with the economic consequences of the pandemic - saying that half of all Spaniards fear that they may lose their job due to the crisis.
It also reports on a plan by the Spanish Ministry of Health to hire students and retirees in the medical profession in order to boost numbers by 50,000. A similar plan was launched in Ireland, with 40,000 volunteering to date.
La Razón is a daily newspaper based in the capital, Madrid. It reports the number of infected could reach 2.5 million in 10 days.
Portugal
Portuguese daily newspaper, Público, headlines with the government decrees as confirmed cases in Portugal tip over the 1,000 mark. Portugal has become the latest European country to close all non-essential shops, urging people to work from home if possible.
France
Le Parisien, the French daily newspaper, headlines with how people in France have been reacting to the strict lockdown measures announced by French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday. "The third day in quarantine and many French are out of their houses".
Meanwhile, the headline on the daily newspaper Libération features the situation faced by front-line medical professionals, amid a shortage of key equipment. Its headline thanks medical staff at the forefront of the crisis.
Ireland
The Irish Times headlines with the Irish government payment plans for those unemployed due to COVID-19. It also features the government's call for people to heed the social distancing policy.
United Kingdom
The Times' front page features The Queen, calling on people to "come together" amid the pandemic. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson says that the "tide" of COVID-19 could turn in 12 weeks.
Elsewhere
Artwork on the front page of the weekly publication, The New Yorker, shows an empty Grand Central Station in New York City.
The international edition of the New York Times headlines China's "shift in focus", saying that as domestic cases dwindle "Beijing mounts a blitz" to help world fight the pandemic.
The front page of weekly magazine The Economist, shows a world closed for business, as shopfronts shut and millions self isolate amid the mounting pandemic.
